Second Victim Testifies Against Counselor in Rape Case

NEW YORK (WCBS 880) – A second victim testified she was 15 years old and in custody of the Juvenile Justice Department when counselor Tony Simmons raped her in an elevator after delivering her to a family court appearance in Manhattan.

WCBS 880’s Irene Cornell reports the girl is from a troubled background, like another alleged victim of Simmons.

She was adopted as a baby by a Ukrainian family that she never felt like she belonged.

She drifted back to her natural mother, who was a drug addicted gang member on Staten Island. Her mother recruited her to sell drugs when she was just 14.

The victim became a drug user herself and was placed in a series of group homes and finally juvenile jail facilities as she grew more violent and out-of-control.

After the rape in the elevator, she testified Simmons cautioned her not to tell anyone saying, “They’d never believe you anyway.”

A third victim of sex abuse from Simmons is the only one who reported the act. She managed to slip a note to the judge who heard her case in family court. Referring to Simmons by his nickname “Tyson”, the note said: Tyson is a nasty dog. I need to get out of here now.

Irene Cornell

Irene Cornell has been a reporter at WCBS for 40 years, and she still comes to work with a smile.
Irene covers crime and the courts -- name an interesting local case and she's probably covered it -- and she says what keeps the job so fascinating...